[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 249 (Tuesday, December 30, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 75316-75317]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-31927]


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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE


Andean Trade Preference Act (ATPA), as Amended: Notice Regarding 
the 2003 Annual Review

AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) 
received petitions in September 2003 to review certain practices in 
certain beneficiary developing countries to determine whether such 
countries are in compliance with the ATPA eligibility criteria. This 
notice specifies the date of announcement of the results of the 
preliminary review of those petitions.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bennett M. Harman, Deputy Assistant 
U.S. Trade Representative for Latin America, Office of the Americas, 
Office of the United States Trade Representative, 600 17th St., NW., 
Washington, DC 20508. The telephone number is (202) 395-9446, and the 
facsimile is (202) 395-9675.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The ATPA (19 U.S.C. 3201 et seq.), as 
renewed and amended by the Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication 
Act of 2002 (ATPDEA) in the Trade Act of 2002 (Pub. L. 107-210), 
provides trade benefits for eligible Andean countries. Pursuant to 
section 3103(d) of the ATPDEA, USTR promulgated regulations (15 CFR 
part 2016) (68 FR 43922) regarding the review of eligibility of 
countries for the benefits of the ATPA, as amended.
    In a Federal Register notice dated August 14, 2003, USTR initiated 
the 2003 ATPA Annual Review and announced a deadline of September 15, 
2003 for the filing of petitions (68 FR 48657). Several of these 
petitions requested the review of certain practices in certain 
beneficiary developing countries regarding compliance with the 
eligibility criteria set forth in sections 203(c) and (d) and section 
204(b)(6)(B) of the ATPA, as amended (19 U.S.C. 3203(c) and (d); 19 
U.S.C. 3203(b)(6)(B)).
    In a Federal Register notice dated November 13, 2003, USTR 
published a list of the responsive petitions filed pursuant to the 
announcement of the

[[Page 75317]]

annual review. The Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC) is conducting a 
preliminary review of these petitions. 15 CFR 2016.2(b) provides for 
announcement of the results of the preliminary review on or about 
December 1. 15 CFR 2016.2 also provides for modification of the 
schedule if specified by Federal Register notice. This notice specifies 
that the results of the preliminary review will be announced March 31, 
2004. The results of the preliminary review will be published in the 
Federal Register on or about that date.

Bennett M. Harman,
Deputy Assistant United States Trade Representative for Latin America.
[FR Doc. 03-31927 Filed 12-29-03; 8:45 am]
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